The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-04-16
THE DANCE OF DEATH
Which Brought Back Life to 6
Beautiful Bride.

Philander Darby entered the reading
{ room Of the club. At the granite threshold
OF the building he had hesitated, but the
power of habit is strong, and for five years
it had been his habit to spend from one to
three hours daily in the luxurious apart
ments set apart for the choice spirits COM
posing the club.
He had hesitated on this occasion, not be-
cause he had ever failed in being well
come accession to the groups of young
men usually to be found engaged in the oc-
cupations of the place, but, without doubt,
because of the unusual circumstances cnvi-
roning his own personality. For, the fact
is, twas the mosning of Darby's marriage
day.
That evening the multiform benefactions
OF tho gods to him were to be crowned by
the gift of wife Of his own hearts ch6os-
ing. Under these circumstances, there
fore, 1t was perhaps natural that the BRIDE
groom-elect should have hesitated to brave
the attention his presence was sure to call
forth in the rooms of the club. Luckily
when he entered there were not half q
dozen fellows present, and these were in a
group at one Of tho tables, evidently en-
crossed in the discussion of some subject
calculated to divide interest with the topic
mutually suggested by the unconscious self
consciousness Of the new arrival.
They were highbred young bloods, those
of the Jockey Club The courtesy Of their
greeting to Darby may have been o trifie
moro pronounced than usual-that was ALL
Not the lift Of an eyelid, as they made room
for him, betrayed cognizance VI the happy
destiny they knew to be imminent for him.
His best man expectant, Hardin Golden,
a. nd L. to- all
parties at ease.
'We have just been discussing the freak
of fate which has victimized poor Darrow,"
he said, addressing Darby.
"Darrow-what of himl"
"Man alive? Have you not heard! Why,
the morning papers are full Of the shock
ing occurrence"
t'The papers have neglected to look into {;
IL have been otherwise engaged" STAN
mercd Darby.
Hardin nodded.
~ understand. Well, Darrow, poor fol-
low, met with an awful death last evening""
"It can't be possible! Why, I walked
with him on Carleton Terrace as late as
six o'clock, and when parted with him he
told me he was going directly home"
"Yes Yet it was not two blocks distant
from the terrace where he was tripped by
the trailing loop of telegraph wire. AS
fate would have it, at the same moment
there was a train running at full speed
upon the elevated road above; the buffer
caught in the wire, and the locomotive
rushed on, dragging the coils in which Dar-
row, poor devil, was being tossed like u
shuttlccock. Over and over he was whirled,
till the wire broke, and he was dropped into
h0E obscure street, mangled and lifeloss."
Darby shivered; he made no comment. It
was an awful story to have heard on his
bridal morning. How might a mortal bribe
Fate who rode as in the car Of Juggernaut,
grinding out the lives of the happy and
wre,ched alike!
The flippancy of Bret Cosby Jared upon
his mood.
SIT strikes me- that's about the style
DEATHS adopted these latter days." COM
mentcd that young fashionable, breaking
tho silence. "He's an ill-mannered mon
Ste, that's not got the politeness Of u French
n.ing- master when he pounces upon and
walt1es off to destruction with fellow, as
he's done with Darrow."
''fatd vians invenie,t," muttered Grantley
''There were Giles, Fleming and Hoyt as
well US Darrow."
There was an uncomfortable pause. The
tragic deaths which had befallen the quar-
tet OF their members in the last eighteen
yer, to.
''rhc mare that broke Fleming's mock had
been landed but u week in the country from
AraDia," said Bret Cosby; Zone would
think she had crossed continents and seas,
spnrrcd of the three hateful hags, SO
speedily did she accomplish Fleming's doom
ON her arrival"
"rhsrate that overlook Tom Giles was
not less strange" commented Hardin: sit
was chance in n thousand. To be struck,
at distance Of fifty feet, by pin from u
passing locomotive is to me the very irony
offnto.'"
fesble smile. The subject was one that
struck uncomfortably upon tho nerves OF
the group.
Golden shook himself together. "It would
be !hc splitting OF hair to me-" he said,
cypically, ito make choice between the bolt
OF iron and the bolt Of electricity that killed
Hoyt 1t was hard for fellow to be done
to death by charge OF lightning when
there was not cloud in tho sky"
"Hoyt had been warned not to touch the
battery wires," interposed Hairston.
Grantley shrugged his shoulders.
~ believe you had also warned Jack
Fleming not to touch that beastly Arabian,
had you not, Hardin!"
Hardin assented.
'srhe Fates lend the willing and drag the
unwilling" quoted Grantley "WhO was
there to warn Giles or DArrowa"
''Eor the matter Of that" fippantly re
piled Cosby, ''who can warn against the
doori that may be lurking in ambush fol
the ,.rst of US fellows that leave the Mace
nas!"
Rendered restless by the turn the conver
sation had taken, Darby had moved away
from the group and was leaving the room
He heard the idle words Cosby had spoken
He went on as though he had not heard
Tha halze doors swung shut after him.